Host Sarah Brassard introduces her new podcast, "Stay Close," which explores what it means to return to our authentic selves. The episode centers on David Whyte's powerful quote: "To be courageous is to stay close to the way we are made."

Episode Highlights:

1. Sarah reflects on her 65 years of life, with much of it spent trying to return to her authentic self
2. The pivotal moment of disconnection: when Sarah's mother left her family when she was 13 years old
3. The journey of healing and forgiveness with her mother, now 96 years old
4. The four elements of being human: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual
5. Sarah's personal health crisis with bronchial pneumonia became a "healing event" and a turning point
6. The importance of finding alignment through mentors, community, and practices that feel true to your experience
7. Looking inward to recognize what authenticity feels like rather than seeking external solutions

Key Takeaways:

1. Authentic living requires recognizing what disconnects us from our true nature
2. True healing comes from turning toward what needs attention rather than away from it
3. Finding your path back to authenticity often happens through following small breadcrumbs, not giant leaps
4. The courage to return to who we truly are is one of the most important journeys we can undertake

Join Sarah on this exploration of staying true to yourself while building meaningful connections in a world that often wants to reshape us.

In this deeply personal episode, Sarah Brassard shares her experience with a recent respiratory infection that became a powerful catalyst for healing old grief. Speaking with vulnerability even through her recovery, Sarah connects this physical illness to a similar respiratory infection she experienced 32 years ago—what she calls her "first initiation" into self-discovery.

Episode Highlights:

• Sarah reflects on recording the previous episode about her bronchial pneumonia at age 32, only to experience similar respiratory symptoms hours later
• The connection between physical ailments and stored emotional pain, particularly grief from losing her parents at ages 13 and 16
• How Sarah recognized this illness as "old grief coming through my physical body"
• The importance of prioritizing self-care by clearing her calendar and allowing herself to be vulnerable
• The science of neuroplasticity and how reframing our stories physically rewires our brains
• The shift from seeing experiences as "happening to me" to "happening for me."

Key Quote:

"I am courageous as I move closer to the way I was made." - Inspired by poet David Whyte

Guided Practice:

Sarah leads listeners through a "Story Shift" exercise:

• Recall a challenging experience from your past
• Notice how your body feels when recalling this experience
• Ask yourself: "What if this experience wasn't happening to me, but for me?"
• Consider what gifts it brought, what strengths you developed, and how it prepared you for something important later
• Notice the subtle shifts in your body as you reframe the experience

Science Behind the Practice:

Sarah references neuroscientist Dr. Maya Reinhardt's research on how reframing our narratives can:

• Improve vagal tone and heart rate variability
• Strengthen immune function
• Decrease stress hormones
• Help the nervous system understand that we're safe

Weekly Invitation:

Choose one story you tell about yourself—perhaps something labeled as a failure or disappointment:

• Write it down exactly as you currently tell it
• Write a second version focusing on what you gained, learned, and how you grew
• Read both versions aloud and notice how your body responds to each

Connect with Sarah:

• Sarah’s Book – Inside: A Guide to the Resources Within
• A gentle companion for your healing journey. Explore the book
• Stay in Touch: Receive Sarah’s notes from the heart, upcoming offerings, and soulful reflections. Subscribe to the newsletter
• Connect on Instagram: @sarahbrassard

Thank you for holding space for today's story.

May it remind you that you’re never alone in your healing.

🌸 Until next time, stay close.

In this episode of Stay Close, Sarah opens up about a story she’s never shared publicly before—a story of loss, identity, and the lengths we sometimes go to protect ourselves from pain.

At just 13 years old, Sarah coped with her mother’s departure by creating an entirely new persona—"Muffy," complete with a fictional twin sister. What began as a way to survive and escape grief became a metaphor for the masks we all wear when we feel unsafe, unseen, or not enough.

Through this vulnerable reflection, Sarah explores the long-lasting effects of abandoning ourselves for acceptance and the journey of returning to who we truly are. She speaks about the exhaustion of shape-shifting, the weight of personas, and the quiet liberation that comes with removing the armor.

💬 In this episode, Sarah shares:

• Her first experience with hiding her authentic self—and why it felt safer at the time
• How her pattern of self-abandonment showed up in adulthood and relationships
• What it took to finally begin the journey back to herself
• The small but powerful practices that can reconnect us to our truth

This episode is a soft invitation to reflect on your own “Muffy moments”—those times when you’ve stepped away from your truth to fit in, avoid pain, or keep others comfortable. Sarah reminds us that we don’t have to stay in those roles forever. The path back is gentle, and it’s made up of small, courageous steps.

Before you end your day, ask yourself:

• When did I feel most alive today?
• When did I feel most connected to myself and others?
• When did I feel most at peace?

These are your signposts. They are showing you where you’re already staying close to your true self.

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Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahbrassard

“The most courageous thing you can do is simply to stay close to how you were made.”

Thank you for holding space for this story. We hope it reminds you that you’re not alone—and that coming home to yourself is always possible.

🌙 Until next time, stay close.